Monday, April 25, 2005

Society Page: Star of Turner and Hooch Gets Froggy

Last night, because it was time, I saw the French movie, Look at Me, with two very urbane friends, Mary and Randy, who both enjoy a good night of Gallic celluloid. Look at Me is a wonderful thing about a woman in her floundering twenties whose latest idea is to become a singer. She has a very connected and powerful father in the publishing business who suffers from relationship woes, creative block and cranky moods as he summarily ignores his daughter no matter which approach she takes to get his attention. The father is played by Jean-Pierre Bacri, a great actor. The daughter is played with amazing skill by the chubby Marilou Berry. All the other actors are equally amazing. Check out the link below.

This movie won all sorts of awards and when you see it, you will know why. I will say, it was a bit too long, but what the merde! Buy a big bucket of popped maize and snack heartily. Exploded monocotyledons aside, to watch this film saddens the North American heart as it is one of those well done flicks from France that reminds you of the three main differences between the best films of Gaully-wood as compared with the best films of Hollywood.

1) While the best French films concentrate on the inner lives of distinct, real characters during important transition in their lives, the best Hollywood movies concentrate on the Christian redemption of an ambivalent hero which is achieved by his acts of aggression against evil and his sacrifices for a completely phantasmagorical woman, who should really be named MaryMadonnatheGoodStupidPerfectHotGirlunderThirty.

2) While the best French films concentrate on a concise bit of narrative in the short time span that it takes to elucidate the inner pinnings of real characters, the best Hollywood movies concentrate on the Christian redemption of an ambivalent hero which is achieved by his acts of aggression against evil and his sacrifices for a completely phantasmagorical woman, who should really be named MaryMadonnatheGoodStupidPerfectHotGirlunderThirty.

3) While the best French films concentrate on a specific theme about the human condition that may get you to think about your own life as well as the interconnectedness of all human beings, the best Hollywood movies concentrate on the Christian redemption of an ambivalent hero which is achieved by his acts of aggression against evil and his sacrifices for a completely phantasmagorical perfect woman, who should really be named MaryMadonnatheGoodStupidPerfectHotGirlunderThirty.

Attending the cinema with this tasteful trio were Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. Since we did not invite them, they sat together, alone, a few rows behind us. They arrived at the theatre first, just before we did and when they departed, I do not know. They both appeared quite fit. Mr. Hanks wore a baseball cap pulled all the way down to his chin.

Look at Me has great choral music, presents beautiful camera work and the acting is superb.


Look at Me

1 comment:

Todd HellsKitchen said...

I'll add it to my list of films to see.

As for Tom Hanks slithering out of the theater, I would have yelled "There's Tom Hanks" and pointed at him. Now, if he would have walked out without the disguise I would have let him pass peacefully.